Former Humboldt County resident sightings!

Robin and I went to Goodyear yesterday and watched the Reds against the A's. The A's won. Coco Crisp looks good, and Brett Anderson looks ready to pitch opening day. Red's Reliever Chapman was dealing though. Robin and I were sitting behind scouts right behind home plate with radar guns and Chapman was throwing 100 mph!

Saw former Arcata high sport stars Bob Mcrea and Jeff Menefee. Bob is living in Sparks and Jeff in Redding. Bob loves the Reno area and says he does not miss the mold. Bob has played no softball for 7 years now. Still probably has hundreds of more Home Runs than most.

Robin and I are staying at the base of the Camelback Mountain a few blocks away from downtown Scottsdale.

Rain following Samoasoftball!

Robin and I started our yearly trip to Arizona and drove in the rain Friday, lousy weather to Palm Springs on Saturday, car overheated on way to Phoenix......blah blah. Yesterday was the topper. We were watching the Giants and Rockies in Scottsdale and....were rained out. Looks good today though.

More oil related questions. Were we better car makers 30 years ago? 20?

Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) is huge subject for carmakers of all sizes. New federal requirements set to take effect for the 2016 model year require a fleet average of 35.5 mpg. As the deadline nears, which American car company can do as well as they did 30 Years ago? Here is the best gas mileage vehicles made by US companies in 1981 and earlier that topped the 2016 mandate.

1. Chevy Luv pickup 53 MPG Highway 40 City
2. Dodge Omni 50 MPG Highway 30 City
3. Plymouth Horizon 50 MPG Highway 30 City
4. Ford Escort 44 MPG Highway 28 City
5. Dodge Colt 41 MPG Highway 31 City

And there were many imports that were in compliance with the 2016 Mandate.

Even 20 years ago we had an ample American supply of cars that fit the 2016 mandate.

1. Chevy Sprint 50 MPG Highway 45 City
2. Pontiac Firefly 50 MPG Highway 45 City
3. Ford Fesitva 42 MPG Highway 35 City
4. Ford Escort 41 MPG Highway 31 City
5. Pontiac Lemans 40 MPG Highway 31 City


So why all the whinning and crying by US car producers? They don't have the technology to improve on what they have already proven they can do? In 1982 there were 18 makes of cars that got 50 MPG on the Highway or better!

Call out for CO-ED Softball players! Eureka City Hall 6pm!

The Eureka City Council will be deciding tonight on whether to reinstate the adult softball program. City staff is recommending a 28% increase in fees to cover costs. There is no plan at this time to include CO-ED softball. So I am asking all players who are interested in Softball to show up tonight at Eureka City Hall 531 K st at 6pm and when the subject comes up for softball, say your comments!

Tsunami affects on Humboldt Bay.

Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District CEO David Hull said there was no significant damage to Humboldt Bay but neighboring harbors in Brookings, Crescent City and Noyo all reported extensive damage. Crescent City and Brookings are so severely damaged that we are now receiving approximately 38 vessels from those ports at Humboldt Bay.

David complemented the Humboldt District staff on doing a great job today of implementing our emergency operations procedures and working with the vessels from other ports. They worked from about 1am until the advisories were called off.

David reported an interesting experience today as the bay experienced water level fluctuations of as much as 5’ over a 10 minute period and a complete “tide” cycle in as little as 20 minutes. This cycle was repeated approximately 10 times between 8AM and 5PM. Interesting information.

(The photos are before and after of Banda Aceh Shore, Indonesia.)

Railbanking or Trains. Not both. 9,420 sign up to support Eel River trail.

The North Coast Rail Authority (NCRA) met at the Humboldt County Supervisors Chambers today. Let me quickly summarize what went on.

When public comments started on subject not on the agenda, Environmental Protection Information Center Executive Director Scott Greacen let the NCRA Board know that he was not happy with the lack of transparency that he felt was lacking from staff. He outlined his grievances. Others thanked the board for showing up to Humboldt.

Discussion on whether to allow the Timber Heritage Association (THA) to have it's speeder on usable NCRA track for Samoa to Manila runs and Eureka runs for the Jazz festival and Blue's by the Bay became convoluted over liability issues and questions over the THA's motive for running the speeder. After much discussion, the board voted to allow the continued running of the speeder.

When discussion turned to Rail banking, Eel River Trails Association leader Chris Weston announced that he has signatures of 9,420 people who support the project of Railbanking and using the Eel River canyon as a trail! 6,000 of those signatures are from Humboldt County. He gave out his phone number and went around lobbying critics around the room after his three minutes. Many spoke in favor of the trail and trains in the future. Some landowner discussed the problems of people having access to their properties and the trash, environment and safety concerns.

Some confusion happened after Arcata City Councilperson Alex Stillman brought forward a letter (As did Arcata Councilperson Shane Brinton) to the NCRA about their Arcata to Bracut Rails & Trails project. It seems neither the NCRA Board or Legal Staff could agree on the definition of a proper Railbank. It seems the board felt it was an either or and never a combination of the two. That would once more cause a split in the community and have people having to take sides. Both Stillman and Brinton said they were pro-rail and wanted railroad rights protected for the future, but were open for railnaking discussion.

Sounds like the NCRA Board and Staff need to go back to the drawing board on this issue.

Gas goes over $4 a gallon in Eureka. Because of Egypt and Libya? MY BUTTOCKS!

Help me understand this. Our largest supplier of oil is Canada, by a long shot. Between Canada, Mexico and Venezuela we receive over 40% of all our imported oil. We buy very little oil from Egypt (Ranked 31st of Suppliers to US) and Libya (Ranked 20th of Suppliers to US). Less than 1% of our total! So if we took both off the list all together, shouldn't we just have a 1% increase in gas prices instead of 10%? Are they just used as an excuse for these inflated gas prices? Even as screwed up as Iraq is, they supply 5% of our oil supply. Someone please explain coherently.

Humboldt State Basketball Coach Steve Kinder on the way out?

Really. What can Steve do for an encore? His team is ranked 3rd in the country with a 24-2 record. (Actually ranked Number 1 in one computer ranking poll.) They will probably win a few more and be considered one of the top HSU teams of all time!

I really feel that Steve should see if there is a chance for him to be considered for a Division 1 offer. This is not to dis on HSU. It is just that Kinder should maximize his potential and he is topped out here. I watched this team early in the season and just am blown away at how good they have become as the season has progressed. And the players that have been recruited in the past by Steve such as Mark White, Fred Hooks, Austin Nichols, Cy Vandermeer, Jeremiah Ward, Grayson Moyer, Devin Peal, Kevin Johnson and Zac Tiedeman speaks in volumes of his eye for top rated talent.

I have also played Adult Basketball against Kinder and he knows how to exploit a players weakness on the court. Oh, and this is not some ploy for me to get him to move away. I really like the guy and appreciate his willingness to show up to local High School games, even though there really isn't any local players that could compete on the HSU level.

Now CR on the other hand......they need to recruit Humboldt's best so we have something to watch out there.

American workers want unions! Even the Starbuck people.

Americans strongly oppose laws taking away the collective bargaining power of public employee unions, according to a new Gallup Poll. The poll found 61% would oppose a law in their state similar to such a proposal in Wisconsin, compared with 33% who would favor such a law.

So why are the Republican governors in Ohio, New Jersey, Indiana, Iowa and other states considering similar laws? Got me. This will come back to haunt them.

And while we are on the subject of people wanting to organize, many Starbuck employees have been in the process of organizing through the Industrial Workers of the World. (IWW the Wobblies)

Eureka adult softball needs your help!

I have been approached by many in the community about the plight of adult softball in Eureka. With the passing of Measure O, there is a fleeting chance at having adult softball again in Eureka. It just has to be self sufficient. But you can't just sit on the sidelines and belly ache! (Or dugouts if you will) Call your elected City Council People and let them know you would like to see Eureka City Adult Softball leagues brought back.
Ward 1 Councilperson Marian Brady @ 441-4169.
Ward 2 Councilperson Linda Atkins @ 441-4168.
Ward 3 Councilperson Mike Newman @ 441-4170.
Ward 4 Councilperson Melinda Ciarabellini @ 441-4167.
Ward 5 Councilperson Lance Madsen @ 441-4171.
Mayor Frank Jager @ 441-4200.

Just leave a message if they are not there!

If you have the itch to start playing in the near future, the Mad River Softball Association is hosting a "Spring" league of either mens or co-ed league starting in April. League games are on Sundays, and teams play double headers at the Arcata Sports Complex. The nicest natural playing fields in all of Northern California. Our regular season starts on June 13th.

Fall River the McKinleyville of Shasta county?

Shasta County Planning Commissioners want to rezone areas of Burney, Cottonwood and Fall River Mills to create more high-density housing for very low-income families.

Residents in Fall River are up in arms over having low-income families and the perceived rise in crime. And the possibility of devaluing property values is a big concern. Residents were also concerned about little notification of the process.

There is a need for 970 low-income units to keep with updating Shasta Counties General plan. The county is about 800 units short.

Kinda sound familiar?

Ecohostel in Cookhouse? Samoa Peninsula Fire District to Morph into Community Service District?

It looks like this will happen within the next year or so. The town of Samoa will become a Community Service District through reorganization of the Samoa Peninsula Fire District. The attic of the Samoa Cookhouse is being remodeled through "green" processes and will become an "Ecohostel." The old fire department gathering hall by the Cookhouse will also become a "Ecohostel" with a "green" themed RV Park. I will update as I learn more.

Shasta County #2 in State Prison Population per 1,000. Humboldt #27.

I really don't know what to make of the numbers. Either the Shasta County DA's office is doing a better job at putting people away, or they are over prosecuting offenders. But neighboring counties Tehama and Butte are also in the top ten in the state. Hmmm. And why is it that Humboldt County has more Violent offenses per 100,000 than Shasta? (413 to 293) And Humboldt has more Drug offenses per 100,000? (579 to 308) And yet we have less people behind bars? Could someone explain what this all means?

David Elsebusch predicts Mark Lovelace, Jimmy Smith and Clif Clendenen voted out 2012.

This happened at yesterday's Board of Supervisors meeting during public comments concerning the appointment of a reluctant Bruce Emad for an at large position on the Humboldt County Planning Commission. The 3 voted to ignore 19 applicants for the position. This will make for some political fall out, but I am not so sure there will be a tidal wave of animosity. David and his wife Penny won't have a big say in this. They both live in 5th District Supervisor Sundberg's district.

Union Membership takes a thumping.

If the US economy wasn't bad enough already, union membership is down to 11.9%. According to the Department of Labor there was a net loss of 612,000 union members last year. In the early 1980's, union membership was over 20%! And the future is not looking much brighter. Only 4.3% of the workers between the age of 16 and 24 years of age are union! And a real glaring reality is this; 36.2% of all union members are in the public sector. Only 6.9% of the private sector is union! Most of this is because of the uneven playing field for corporations to ignore the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and the constraints in organizing through the ineffectiveness of the National Labor Relations Board upholding the bylaws and spirit of the NLRA. (I have stories galore on this while I was organizing.)

And it is not like people not wanting to be union. Over 50% of the current US workforce would like to be union. And why not. The average union worker makes $917 a week as compared to $717 a week for non-union workers.

But lets bring this closer to home. In the 1990's there were around 500 private sector union jobs on the Samoa Peninsula alone! Now there is less than 10. I know I have spewed much of this in the past. Just like to bring this up every now and then.

Humboldt County Basketball musings.

Robin and I went to McKinleyville High School to watch the Panthers face off against the Arcata Tigers. We have watched enough Arcata games this year to have expected a huge Arcata win. (The last player I coached in 8th grade basketball still playing High School is junior Matt Gulley for the Tigers. He was fun to coach and he loved my "never seen a shot I didn't like" philosophy. MHS out hustled and played tough defense to take down a team with way superior height. Tom Witzel was the only Tiger in double figures with 24 points. (Matt had 6) I have to hand it to McKinleyville. They went right at Arcata's front line that is 6'10", 6'6" and 6'6" across in the front court. The Tigers are still looking for that on the court leader that will take control. But they still will win the league.

(Dan Squire and Christian Hill do a great job on 106.3 KJNY if you just want to listen. Their post game is great!)

Fortuna High is playing Nate Ambrosini, a Freshman, at point guard. He scored 19 points the other day. Has any other Humboldt County High School Freshman ever scored that many on a Varsity squad? They have another Freshman playing. They will be tough in 2 years.

Robin and I went to a CR men's game recently and I remarked that there were less local players than I have ever remembered. (There is one.) She said to me, "if there were ever less, there would be none!" Maybe that explains the small crowd.

Robin and I went an HSU men's game early this year and I was just not that impressed. I felt they would be a .500 team compared to last years squad. I have been pleasantly wrong. I also witnessed Coach Steve Kinder and all of his staff at a recent High School game. I realize there is not much chance for any of these players to be able to play for the Jacks, but it is classy that they are there.

Kentucky Fried Chicken leaving Eureka?

I have heard from one of my grubbing buddies that the 2 Eureka KFC's are shutting down. SAY IT AIN'T SO! They had a good buffet on Broadway, but usually went to the one on the Burre Center.

Humboldt County Democrats morphing into "Progressive" Club? New Eureka Progressive Democratic Club.

A New Eureka Democratic Club called the “Eureka Progressive Democratic Club” will be meeting Thursday, January 27th at 7pm at the Humboldt County Democratic Headquarters, 129 5th St. in Eureka.

I find it kind of strange that there is a need for a “progressive” branch locally. Why? Let me outline a few reasons. First, let us compare the “Progressive Democrats of America (PDA)” platform with the “Humboldt County Democratic Central Committee (HCDCC).”

1. The PDA would like to stop War Occupations. The HCDCC platform on this issue is:

I. Democracy and ParticipationWe believe that...B. The United States must work cooperatively with all other nations of the world, treat all people with human dignity, and use force only as an absolute last resort.

So they are in agreement.

2. The PDA believes in Healthcare for All with Economic and Social Justice. The HCDCC platform on these issues are:

II. Social Justice

Everyone in our democracy is entitled to equal protection under the law regardless of race, gender, ethnic identification, age, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, and/or socioeconomic status.

A. Everyone has a right to live in a community, state and country that enables all to exercise their rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
B. Everyone has a right to access to affordable health care.
C. Every woman is entitled to the right to make her own reproductive health care decisions.
D. Every person has the right to make her or his own health care decisions.
E. Everyone has an inherent constitutional right to protection from invasion of privacy, by government or corporations.

Again, in alignment with each other.

3. The PDA is concerned about global warming and the environment. The HCDCC platform on this issue is:

III. Environmental Protection

We believe that it is the duty of our democracy to...
• Protect and sustainably use the natural resources of our community, state, country, and world.
• Guarantee safe and healthy food, water and air.
• Enact legislation and policies that promote sustainable forms of energy and the conservation of fossil fuels.
• Protect, preserve and restore the Nation’s ecosystems.
• Prevent resource exploitation that violates public trust.
• Reduce, reuse and recycle.

Once again the PDA and HCDCC are joined.

As far as economics, I am sure the PDA would be good with the HCDCC on the economy.

IV. Economics

We believe that it is the duty of our democracy to ensure that...

• Jobs provide a living wage.
• Legislation and policies encourage the creation of jobs that contribute to a sustainable economy and environment.
• All local, state, and federal governments and agencies of government are fiscally responsible.
• Legislation and policies promote the availability of affordable, safe housing for all.
• The deficit of the federal government is not passed on to the next generation.
• The deficit of the federal government is decreased without shrinking programs that benefit the poor, young, old or disabled.
• Fair taxation for all where all members of society pay their fair share toward the common good.
• Workers’ pensions and social security are protected and strengthened.
• All levels of government work diligently to see that no child, senior citizen or disabled person lives in poverty.

So why the need of a “progressive” chapter of the HCDCC? It is all is about the elephant in the room. The Marina Center. There. I said it. If you are for any kind of development on the Balloon tract/track you are considered an outcast to the far left liberals on the HCDCC. And now those who disagree with their “fellow democrats” want to isolate themselves further with creation of this separate Political Action Committee branch of the HCDCC. Even though both types of Democrats agree with all of the HCDCC platforms! Just sad we have to be so divided as a community of Democrats. Next meeting of the HCDCC is this Wednesday at 7pm across from Denny’s in Eureka. All Democrats are welcome. Even you with the Marina Center sweaters. We are the party of tolerance, are we not?

Melinda Ciarabellini new Ward 4 Eureka City Councilperson. First time Eureka has 3 Democrat Women on Council?

Rex Bohn gave a very classy/gracious speech about the nomination process and the choice of Melinda to the Eureka City Council. Then Linda Atkins moved for approval and a 4-0 vote sealed the deal. I know there has been 3 women on the Eureka City Council in the past, but 3 registered Democrats? Gutsy choice by Mayor Jager.

Marks unwritten rules of life.

I am sure you have heard the unwritten rule of life not drinking alcohol before noon, but what other rules of life do we have? Here is my top ten. I am sure some will not even make sense to some of you:

10. Yes. You will always pick the slowest lines at Costco, the slowest moving traffic lanes and the wrong time to do banking.

9. Never eat chicken before 11am. Unless you are having eggs.

8. Never sell a car to family or friends. Period.

7. You are not where you live, what you drive, or what you wear. (But others will judge you by these.)

6. Never give your adversaries the tools of your own demise.

5. A line of credit does not equal savings.

4. Chances are, those unruly kids coming through the restaurant doors are going to be seated next to you. Every time!

3. We all dine at the table of the consequences of our decisions. Choose from the menu wisely.

2. Before you criticize, analyze. Then have at it.

1. If you wait for someone else to take action, expect disappointment.

And yours?